WEST VIRGINIA – A federal inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary in Hazelton, West Virginia, plead guilty and was sentenced Monday to life in prison for the murder of another inmate, officials said.
Patrick Andrews, 34, formerly of Washington, D.C., plead guilty to one count of murder by a federal prisoner serving a life sentence and one count of second degree murder in a federal facility for his role in the Oct. 7, 2007, murder of fellow inmate Jesse Harris.
U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley sentenced Andrews to life in prison on both counts.
The murder was captured on a prison surveillance camera, officials said.
According to Andrews’ plea agreement and other evidence, this is what happened:
- Andrews and fellow inmate, Kevin Bellinger, stabbed Harris to death with homemade knives in an orchestrated attack.
- The incident occurred while a group of inmates were being moved from the recreation yard back to their cells, Andrews and Bellinger confronted Harris and repeatedly stabbed him.
- In less than a minute, a correctional officer approached and the attackers fled.
- Officers apprehended Andrews after reviewing surveillance footage, which showed Andrews and Bellinger engaged in a verbal confrontation with Harris, followed by the two attackers wielding weapons and assaulting Harris, who was unarmed and backing away from them.
- Harris ultimately died from multiple stab wounds sustained during the attack.
At the time of the murder, Andrews was serving a sentence of 35 years to life in prison for two murders that took place in 1997 and 2000, officials stated.
Bellinger was serving a sentence of 15 years to life for an assault with intent to kill that took place in 2000.
Bellinger was convicted on June 16, 2014, of one count of murder by a federal prisoner serving a life sentence and one count of second degree murder in a federal facility, according to authorities.
On Oct. 8, 2014, he was sentenced to life in prison.